Bob Henry Baber

Short Bio

About Me

Dr. Baber is presently employed as a Major Gifts Officer at Glenville State College in Glenville, WV, and has been active in many occupations throughout his lifetime. He has been a grant writer, a widely published Appalachian poet, a novelist, a creative writing teacher and mosaic artist (and teacher of both, in single or tandem workshops for ‘children of all ages’), a keynote speaker, storyteller, leader (Kellogg National Leadership Fellow), populist politician and former Chair of the WV Mountain/Green Party, environmentalist (one of only two ‘Heroes’ bestowed in 2007 by the National Wilderness Society for his advocating on behalf of the huge expansion of the Cranberry Wilderness.

Dr. Baber is also the creator of the Yeager Airport “Adoption” where 10,000 trees have now been planted), and former Honorable Mayor and current Poet Laureate of Richwood, West Virginia. As Mayor, he secured grant funds to repair the sidewalks, remodeled the historic depot, and secured over 4 million dollars to clean up the polluted Cherry River, wrote grants for new police vehicles and equipment, secured new computers and training for staff, and gave all employees substantial raises while protecting their medical care. He also secured grant funds to demolish the dangerous old city hall, clean up the Cherry Furniture factory hazardous waste site, and invited the World Servants to come and repair houses for the indigent–which they have been doing for 6 years.

Veterans Legacy Project Directed by Bob Henry Baber

The Heroes Among Us photography book contains succinct stories and quotes from West Virginia veterans. This stunning coffee table book is a montage of modern and historic pictures in sepia tones that combines the skills of Glenville State College alum and project photographer Mark Romano with the powerful words and stories of West Virginia veterans, Rosies, and Gold Star Mothers, Co-Edited by Bob Henry Baber.

A documentary, A Tradition of Service was produced to inspire others to acknowledge the importance of recording the history of those around...

Pure Orange Sunshine

5-Stars*****Chuck Kinder, former Chair of the Creative Writing Department of the University of Pittsburgh and renowned author of Honeymooners and The Last Mountain Dancer says this of Baber’s magnum opus, “The Lost Generation had The Sun Also Rises. The Jazz Age had The Great Gatsby. Now the Found Generation called the Hippie Nation has Pure Orange Sunshine. Bob Henry Baber is the grand poet of revolution and loss and redeeming love. Somehow this good old outlaw boy survived the ultimate hillbilly-hippie hero’s descent into the portals of hell not only to brag about it, but to sing that journey’s tall-tale from the West Virginia mountaintops with words as beautiful and funny, haunting and deadly as sharp shiny weapons.”